Commonly time is referred to in a relative manner to the hour; Time is usually spoken of in fifteen minute increments relative to the hour that has past or is approaching. For instance, if somebody asks what time it is when it is 9:16 most people will say “quarter past nine,” or at 1:42 most people will say “a quarter to two.” The vast majority of appointments are schedule at the beginning of the hour and to a lesser degree the half hour, even less common would be 15 minutes past or a quarter to the hour. A clock that highlights these 15 minute increments would better represent how we talk about time and would be enough precision for common use.
The conventional modes of representing time is either circular analog or digital numbers. A circular analog clock is known to tell time with two “hands” moving in a circle indicating the hour and minute by pointing at increment markers that are arranged in a circle in a round clock face. A digital clock is known to represent the time showing only numeric digits in a fixed position with the hours and minutes numbers separated by a colon. A third method of telling time, which is less common, is a linear clock, which has two “hands” which move across a linear row of increment markers.
Digital clocks have the benefit of precision but they lack a visually identifiable relative representation of time. They represent a level of detail that does not represent the relative manner in which time is spoken of.
Circular and linear analog clocks do represent time in relative manner. But having two or three hands that move along the same path is ambiguous and not instantly identifiable. The operator has to decipher which hand is for hours, which for minutes and which is for seconds. Even when one has extensively practiced reading this type of clock it still takes time to detect the difference between the two, or three similar hands. Adding to the clutter standard circular and linear analog clocks show numbers for 12 hours even when the reader only needs to see the current hour.
These designs became prominent as the best solution within the technological limitations of the time. Circular analog clocks are a good solution for mechanical technology, and digital clocks are a good solution for the limitation of early LED and LCD technology. Current display technology is liberated from the previous limitation of mechanical, LED and LCD technology. Yet the vast majority of time representations on computer controlled screens still only represents time with two rotating hands or four numbers in a fixed position.
Accordingly, there is a need for a graphic time representation that simplifies the representation of time and represents time in an instantly visually identifiable manner.